


hold your breath and let me count to three

by drusillaes



Series: like the oceans dancing with a storm, i will dance with you [2]
Category: H2O: Just Add Water
Genre: Coming Out, F/F, Happy Pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 00:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19073776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drusillaes/pseuds/drusillaes
Summary: the awaited sequel to "into the blue"





	hold your breath and let me count to three

In Paris, Emma meets a girl.

 

 

And the kisses that she leaves on Emma’s lips are nothing compared to the graceful dance she used to do underwater with Rikki and dear God why is she still hung up on this her?

 

She shouldn’t be getting irrationally jealous when Cleo and Rikki FaceTime her with their new friend _Bella_ , who looks like a supermodel, and she shouldn’t care what Rikki’s doing in the water without her there.

 

Emma likes to think of herself as a sensible girl without the emotions that girls in her mother's romance novels possess in spades, but, not even for the first time in her life, Emma _pines_.

 

* * *

 

She comes out to her family on the last day of her trip. They’re confused, but accepting.

_“But you liked Ash,” her mother says, smiling a puzzled little smile._

_“It’s that French girl, isn’t it?” her father asks, without heat in his voice. “She turned you gay?”_

Emma explains some things that she only knows from the Internet, like what the word “bisexual” means, and her parents understand enough.

She says goodbye to the pretty redhaired French girl, and when she gets to the airport, Rikki’s waiting for her.

 

* * *

 

 

Well, they all are. Cleo, and Lewis, and Bella, and some blonde boy Emma doesn’t know, but Zane’s not there and Rikki has the largest bouquet Emma’s ever seen in her life.

In another world, it’s like a movie -they start running towards each other, Rikki drops the bouquet to sweep Emma up in her arms, and the sun shines down on the two best friends as they kiss at long last.

 

But that doesn’t happen, because this is the real world, and instead Rikki, her smile so wide it threatens to fall off her face, shoves the flowers into Emma’s arms and tackles her with a hug and that’s enough.

 

* * *

 

  
They have a sleepover, and it turns out Bella’s not so bad after all. It warms Emma’s heart to know they aren’t trying to replace her. Emma rolls over -Cleo and Bella are in her bed and Emma and Rikki have their sleeping bags next to each other -to look at Rikki, but the other girl’s awake too.  
“I missed you so much,” Rikki whispers, and the way she says it sends sparks running up and down Emma’s legs. Rikki tucks a loose strand of blonde hair behind Emma’s ear. Her smile is different, subtle. A secret smile she’s only ever showed to Emma.

“How’s Zane?” Emma says, and her whisper is harsher than she meant it, as she pulls away from Rikki’s hand.  
“Not in the picture anymore,” Rikki replies. “In fact, I’m currently interested in a girl.”  
“Are you now?” Emma teases, and Rikki groans. “Em, please just let me kiss you.”

“I’m not going to be your secret anymore,” Emma says primly. “I’m out to my parents.”  
“Discovered a whole new side of yourself in Europe, did you?”  
“I did a study of the female form,” and Rikki’s eyes are blown wide and blue at her audacity, and Emma smirks. Rikki huffs, pretending to be annoyed, and takes Emma’s hand in hers. “In that case, Emma Gilbert,” she says, kissing the back of it. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

The proposal is formal and succinct and everything Rikki is not, and Emma smiles. “Yes.”

Rikki laughs.  
“Can you two keep it down?” a half-asleep Cleo snipes from the bed, and Emma and Rikki grin at each other, legs tangled together in their sleeping bags, hands still tightly held.


End file.
